The new World Economic Forum (WEF) Digital ASEAN initiative was launched to provide people from the south-east Asian region with access to digital skills training. Some of its main goals for 2020 include training 20 million people from small and medium-sized businesses in south-east Asia, raising USD 2 million in contributions to provide scholarships for technology students, and engaging at least 20,000 citizens in “Digital Inspiration Dates” to attract more students into STEM fields.

The initiative seeks to mobilize the private sector to empower the community by offering access to technology training and jobs. In return, companies will be able to find employees with advanced technological skills. According to Justin Wood, Head of Asia Pacific and Member of the Executive Committee at the WEF, “The Fourth Industrial Revolution is unfolding at accelerating speed and changing the skills that workers will need for the jobs of the future. These changes are happening just as the working-age population in ASEAN is expanding by 11,000 people every day – a rate that will continue for the next 15 years. Given these trends, it’s critical that businesses help to build digital skills in ASEAN.”

As part of this initiative, the “ASEAN Digital Skills Vision 2020” pledge was launched, inviting companies to join. While the invitation is permanently open, technology vendors such as Google, Visco, Lazada, Microsoft, or Sea Group, have already begun supporting different projects to train and hire technology professionals.

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The Digital Inclusion activities of the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) promote ICT accessibility and use for the socioeconomic development of people with specific needs: indigenous peoples and people living in rural areas; persons with disabilities; women and girls; and youth and children.

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Since 2011, over 357,000 girls and young women have taken part in more than 11,100 celebrations of International Girls in ICT Day in 171 countries. The event will next be celebrated on April 2019.

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